The biscuit theme draws on the so-called “biscuit siding” in Gloucester Old Yard, which served a small loading shed that was used by various industries over the years, including Peak Freen’s biscuit company.

Every building has a history, and so it transpires that the Biscuit Shed was the original train shed of the erstwhile North & South Junction Railway's terminus at Farthing. When the GWR took over that line it was decided to keep the shed as a transshipment facility for the area’s blossoming industries, and in 1899 the GWR entered into contract with Badger's Biscuit Company for just such a purpose.

This non-standard history allowed me to use some roof trusses with a "Queen Post" pattern from an old Airfix station canopy kit.

The side was built using laminated styrene and braced as per the beer shed at Stratford on Avon. I've only just discovered microbrushes (the green thing), they are proving quite useful.

I used a small jig to make the supporting timber posts. The jig was developed with input from NASA engineers and proved an excellent way of gluing the posts firmly to, er, the jig! :-)

I liked the “waisted” appearance of the timber support columns in the beer shed at Stratford at Avon, so I tried to copy this by fitting a hollow section of square rod around the bottom of each post, filed lightly at the top to add an angle. This was also a convenient way of hiding any inconsistencies in the height of the support posts (purely theoretical, of course!).

Still working on the loading dock, it will have a polyfilla surface and sleeper-faced sides.

The footprint of the dock is a bit odd as the building will be located in the front left corner. The white pipes on the roof marks the join of the Wills slate sheets. Once painted grey I hope they will blend in - sometimes I think it is best to hide a join in plain sight, so to speak.

So just a little more work and then it's time to paint it before embedding it on the layout.

Very impressed Mikkel.
Despite the building being rather uninterested from and architectural point of view ( I say that respectfully ) you have captured something in your excellent build.
I'm certain once you've weaved your magic with the painting it will be a credit to you.
Looking forward to the next posting.
Cheers for now
G

Very impressed Mikkel. Despite the building being rather uninterested from and architectural point of view ( I say that respectfully ) you have captured something in your excellent build. I'm certain once you've weaved your magic with the painting it will be a credit to you. Looking forward to the next posting. Cheers for now G

Thanks Grahame. Yes it's a simple building, but I like the depth you get from having no front wall. Still wondering what colour to paint it, but I suppose if it was owned by the GWR it would be either creosote or painted in the stone colours. The original company who built it would probably have gone for a painted structure, so I suppose the GWR would have had to continue painting it.

Amazing work Mikkel! all the talk of biscuits reminds me I have a rather tasty chocolate chip pack in the kitchen.

Thanks Tom, I hope you enjoyed your biscuits :-) On that topic I found this video while doing a little research on British biscuit manufacturers. I'm quite surprised at some of the technology applied, given that it's 1906:

Hi Dave, yes exactly - that's what I'm looking forward to. It's becoming a bit of a trademark feature on Farthing to have a structure at the front that requires you to get down to eye level and "look under" a roof to see the stock :-)

Be interesting to see your plans for the layout and siding, and how you will get your wagons / vans into place for loading because I think that smelly, smokey engines would not be allowed under the roof potentially contaminating the carefully prepared biscuits.

Beautiful work as usual !! Thanks for sharing.

Having worked in a factory making Mechanical Handling equipment, I did recognise some of the classic machinery gearing still common today, but made lighter and smaller now. that film is a great find!

Thanks John, I was interested to read that bit about the history of Wilkin's. "The Brittania Fruit Tree Preserving Company" sounds like a name I could adapt for my jam siding. Meanwhile here is a photo from another factory, Frank Cooper's Jam Factory - I think I might model some boxes like that:

Beautiful work as always. Don't beat yourself up over things like the roof join, as you know it will disappear when painted and you know what they say, "that's the way the cookie crumbles.."

That film was great. Notice the number of children working on the production line.

Thanks DD, yep that's the way the biscuit crumbles :-) I see what you mean about the children, I didn't even consider it when I watched it first time. I wonder what they were paid!

Be interesting to see your plans for the layout and siding, and how you will get your wagons / vans into place for loading because I think that smelly, smokey engines would not be allowed under the roof potentially contaminating the carefully prepared biscuits.

Beautiful work as usual !! Thanks for sharing.

Having worked in a factory making Mechanical Handling equipment, I did recognise some of the classic machinery gearing still common today, but made lighter and smaller now. that film is a great find!

Hi Don, good point about the loco in the biscuit shed. The original plan was to use gravity shunting, but I gave up on that. A small part of the loading dock is outside the shed, so if I position the vans carefully I should be able to keep the loco just free of the shed. Although I actually like the idea of smoked biscuits :-)

Interesting that you recognize some of the gearing in the factory. It's not really that long ago although my children can't fathom it!

Just an other quality piece for your layout. I love to see what you do with your modeling skills.

Looking great already, Looking forward to the final result.

Thanks very much Job. Just found some wood today in a craft shop for the next building. It may give some difficulties to blend styrene and wood, but I want to use this layout to experiment a bit with different materials.

Wilkins is the wrong side of the country, unless you get the GWR to buy out the GE !!

Super jam though, and can vouch for their tea rooms, don't know why they are still called tea rooms as coffee is as popular if not more so. I guess you can have coffee with afternoon tea

I'm all for modeller's license but having the GWR buy out the GE is perhaps going a bit too far! Anyway, I was thinking more of adapting the name, maybe simply to "The Wiltshire Fruit Tree Preserving Company". Has a rather grand ring to it.

Here is a scene that would be nice to recreate in the "jam siding", although this is for a cider company:

Wilkins is the wrong side of the country, unless you get the GWR to buy out the GE !! ...............

...but Frank Cooper's jam factory was in Oxford. The original marmalade recipe was by his wife Sarah-Jane and there is a 'blue plaque' commemorating her, on the shop in the High Street. The 'new' jam factory was built in 1903 on Park End Street, a site chosen for its proximity to both the GWR and LNWR stations. It is now a 'listed' building. The railway was used both for importing raw materials (fruit, sugar) and distributing the product.

I agree with others about the open front to the biscuit shed (though I hope they don't get damp), which allows for interesting views of the activities inside. I look forward to seeing the finished result.

...but Frank Cooper's jam factory was in Oxford. The original marmalade recipe was by his wife Sarah-Jane and there is a 'blue plaque' commemorating her, on the shop in the High Street. The 'new' jam factory was built in 1903 on Park End Street, a site chosen for its proximity to both the GWR and LNWR stations. It is now a 'listed' building. The railway was used both for importing raw materials (fruit, sugar) and distributing the product.

I agree with others about the open front to the biscuit shed (though I hope they don't get damp), which allows for interesting views of the activities inside. I look forward to seeing the finished result.

I'm very impressed with everyone's detailed knowledge of jam manufacturers! I am obviously among experts. Thanks Mike for that bit of info about Frank Cooper's, good to know they considered proximity to railways important, that helps justify a small loading facility.

Hmm, I hadn't considered whether the biscuits will be dry enough with an open fronted shed. The original one at Gloucester (which I didn't build because it wasn't very interesting) was an enclosed building.

Here's one of several wonderful pictures on the Huntley and Palmer's site - which seems to be partly open on one side? (I'm clutching at straws!). Click below the image for a full-screen version: http://www.huntleyan...e&s=2JEuqZUFC0N

Superb work on the building Mikkel looks quite the part. My Grandfather was a foreman at the CWS Jam factory known in those days as the Jammo. He was in charge of a large group of women who knew more about Jam making than he did. The MiL worked at Huntly and Palmers for a while as did some of the young ladies I met in my youth. There could be a lovely smell when they were making Ginger Nuts quite mouth watering.

Hi Don, thanks, I'm glad you think it looks the part. Some very interesting family connections you have in the jam and biscuit industry! I can just imagine the smell from those Ginger Nuts all over town (and the ladies!).

The loading/storage facilities for the jam factory will be more modest than the biscuit shed, am working on them now.

Alas, Huntley and Palmers have all gone now I think although the legacy remains, no not the smell. My son lived for a while in a terraced house on an estate built by George Palmer for his workers, and we sometimes take the grandchildren to Palmer Park, again given to the city by George Palmer.

This is the second time I have read this through and what struck me is how good it looks and how quickly it has been done. I was comparing t with another open fronted building which took ages. I was most impressed with roof structure and the way of making the waisted appearance on the supports.

How would have the biscuits been transported? Would it have been in tins in crates. That would have been a bit waterproof.

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